Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, and the Calgary Flames will face off against Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center for a Western Conference showdown. The game will get underway at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, January 7 and it’s being televised live on Sportsnet West.
Calgary Flames at Chicago Blackhawks Odds
Moneyline odds have not yet been posted for this matchup.
Calgary is 26-17 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 5.3 units this year. 21 of its outings have gone over the total, while another 21 have gone under and just one has pushed. As the away team this season, the Flames are 14-9 SU.
Calgary has converted on 20.4 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 20th out of 31 teams, and the team’s successfully killed off 78.6 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 24.9 saves per game with a .921 save percentage, David Rittich (15-9-3) has been the best option in goal for Calgary this year. If Calgary chooses to rest him, however, the team might turn to Mike Smith (13-10-1 record, .886 save percentage, 3.09 goals against average).
On the other bench, Chicago is 15-28 straight up (SU) and has lost 10.0 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 43 regular season outings, 23 of its games have gone over the total, while 17 have gone under and just three have pushed. This season, the team’s 8-13 SU as the home team.
The Blackhawks have converted on just 15.4 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that’s ranked 24th in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 31st overall, and it’s successfully killed off 73.0 percent of all opponent power plays.
Corey Crawford (28.3 saves per game) has been the primary selection in the crease for the Blackhawks. Crawford has six wins, 17 losses, and two overtime losses and has registered a mediocre 3.28 goals against average and a subpar .902 save percentage this season.
Calgary Flames at Chicago Blackhawks Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Flames, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- Power plays and penalty kills may prove to be even more critical than usual tonight. The Flames are 16-7 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 17-14 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Blackhawks are 5-11 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 11-21 when their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Calgary is ranked 28th this season with 13.1 giveaways per game. That figure’s trended upward recently, as the team’s averaged 15.0 giveaways over its last 10 games and 17.6 giveaways over its last five.
- Chicago is ranked 8th this season with 8.7 giveaways per game. That figure has trended higher lately, as it’s averaged 10.2 giveaways over its last 10 games and 11.0 giveaways over its last five.
